A/N: Hey, again! Don't report me for copying; this is Gracie_Fullbuster! *sigh* Getting tired of typing it, but it's very necessary! Kinda long; I hope you enjoy it! Without further ado, let's begin!
Chapter 4: Goodbye Nevada, Hello Japan! Part 2
It was three AM by the time the pair arrived home. Stepping over the fallen door, the two went to their respective rooms, too tired to care. A group of five trailed them, mostly silent (with the exception of two exuberant teens, who were failing miserably at whispering), leaving gifts on the table, next to their bags. A certain demon sword checked to make sure that the alarm was set properly. It wasn't. Laughing, she set it for 6:30, and exited the girl's room. A black-haired reaper and a blue-haired ninja carried in a new door (The old one had been destroyed in the process of breaking in), and worked as quietly as they could in repairing it. Not that it mattered, anyway. The sleeping students were out for the count. Locking the newly installed door behind them, the five intruders slipped out into the night to get some sleep themselves.
At precisely 6:30 AM, a screeching alarm startled a blond-haired girl awake. 'Oh, crap! I forgot to change the alarm setting for our flight! What time is it, 8?! That's when our flight leaves!' She attempted to flip out of bed, but got tangled in the covers, falling to the floor, and taking the alarm clock with her. '6:31 A.M.' Staring at the clock, she wondered who could've set her alarm. Well, that didn't matter. She took a 15-minute shower, thinking that this would be the last time she'd see the rusting faucet for a long while. Shaking water out of her hair, she turned off the water, and exited the shower. She knocked on Soul's door loudly, and at the sound of a loud thump and a hissed curse, she continued to her room. By the time she had pulled on her outfit—a blue and white summer dress to keep the regal air—Soul was in the shower.
From the many lessons drilled into her by the girls, she was able to pull off a few simple hairstyles, including the one from last night. Finishing it off with a headband, she stepped out of her room in time to see Soul exiting the shower, towel wrapped around his waist. Flushing slightly, she turned on her heel and yelled at him. "I'm going out to buy something for breakfast! I'll be right back!" Soul shouted out a faint 'Okay!' to indicate that he heard, then retreated to his room.
By the time Maka came back, it was about 7:15, so they had to eat quickly. She studied his attire—black dress pants and a white polo shirt, with black dress shoes. She eyed his wrist, where an expensive watch laid. "Nice touch," she commented.
"Wha? Oh, thanks." He replied, noticing her gaze. "They left us gifts," he said, motioning his head towards the table.
"We don't have time to look at them now; we'll see when we get to Japan. Let's go, we gotta get to the airport!" Maka said, swallowing the last of her deli sandwich. Maka gathered the gifts and began the struggle downstairs. Her arms weren't the strongest; holding Soul took little effort (for her, anyway), and her Maka-chops were all in the wrist.
Outside, a limo was waiting, Kid leaning (symmetrically) on the side. When he saw Maka, he immediately took her luggage. "What were you guys waiting for; your flight leaves in half an hour!" he exclaimed, exasperatedly. Soul then came down, lugging the remaining suitcases down the apartment steps. Understanding the situation, he threw the bags into the trunk, and slid in, after Kid and Maka. Kid waved to the driver from his spot between Liz and Patty, signalling him to speed off to the airport. Maka then took charge.
"You guys can't come to the gate with us, since you're not allowed to know where we're going. When we land, after probably sleeping, we'll call you once, and then we don't know when we'll be able to contact you next," she said, sweeping her eyes over all of them.
Kid then cut in. "Well, it's about ten minutes until we get to the station, so are you going to open our gifts, or not?" The tense atmosphere then split open, as Liz and Patty eagerly screamed at the pair, instantly agreeing with Kid.
First, Maka opened a perfectly wrapped cube of monotonously white wrapping paper, with a perfectly centered bow. Inside, lay a regal yet casual dress, black and forest-green, matching the shade of her eyes perfectly. It came with black gloves that came up just above the elbow, rimmed with green, a black headband with an extraordinarily crafted green metal rose, a black pumps with swirling green patterns along the sides. When Maka gasped, impressed, Kid nodded approvingly. "If a time comes when you need that dress, make sure to send me a video of you. I want to see how it looks and fits." "It looks spectacular, Maka-chan!" Tsubaki piped up. "Yeah, it's awesome!" Liz added. Kid then handed a smaller white box to Soul, as well a large black one. The small one revealed a tie matching Maka's dress, and a red one which matched his eyes. There was also a black watch, from the same company as his expensive one. Uncovering the larger box, he found a red dress shirt, with a black suit and pants, and a black backup vest. Atop the clothes were black dress shoes, polished and shiny. Soul grinned. "Thanks, Kid." "Of course," Kid replied, obviously content with Soul's approval.
Tsubaki gingerly placed two, flat, identical, rainbow polka-dot boxes into the arms of Soul and Maka. They were medium-sized, and revealed identical collages made from pictures of the many adventures the group shared. "Woah! Cool!" Soul exclaimed, extremely pleased. "They're beautiful, Tsubaki! Gosh, just when were you planning on revealing this talent to us?!" Maka gushed, along with Liz, mouth agape. Tsubaki blushed. "Eeh...? It's not that special..." All around the limo, jaws dropped, save for Black Star, Patty and Chrona, who was cowering in the corner, muttering frantically.
"Are you kidding?! This is priceless!" Maka exclaimed, still in awe. She shook her head, and moved on, taking the next gift—a red, white and black plaid rectangle, with a shiny red bow—from a still shell-shocked Liz, snapping her back to life.
"Ah, these are also yours, Maka," she said, handing her a brown bag, full of expensive jeans, with unique designs. Inside the box was a diary. She looked up at Liz. "After the mission's over, we can know what it's about, right? Here's one for you, too, Soul," she said, tossing a package clad in blue plaid wrapping paper, dressed with a blue bow.
The driver suddenly yelled back, "We'll be arriving in 5 minutes, make the proper preparations."
Patty handed Maka and Soul bags, full of clothes, and two crudely wrapped packages looking oddly like giraffes. Yup, they were giraffes. A red, male one for Maka, and a green, female one for Soul (as you could tell from the exaggerated eyelashes). "Y'sure you didn't switch them, Patty?" Liz questioned her sister. "Nope!" She replied, bubbly as always.
Chrona handed them a few empty, but beautiful picture frames. "For new memories," was all the words given before Chrona retreated into a shivering mess. Ragnarok made a brief appearance, offering a large package of Deathiva chocolates.
Finally, Black*Star dropped two flat packages into Soul and Maka's laps. It was suspiciously the size of a piece of paper. "Black*Star, I swear, if it's just your autograph..." Soul started, tearing the yellow and blue star-dotted paper, but stopped short. Maka's mouth dropped, looking at hers. It was... beautiful! The pair had received hand-sketched portraits of themselves, smiling in front of the academy. "What is it? I want to see!" Liz said, leaning over. She gasped, passing it around the limo. Aside from a comment from Patty about there being 'no giraffes,' and a half-hearted one from Kid about the 'lack of symmetry,' the entire party was amazed. "I never knew you had that sort of patience..." Soul managed, still awestruck. Black Star chuckled lightly. "I hadn't done it in a while, but I had to for my bro and little sister," he said, unnaturally quiet. 'Damn, how exactly was his going away going to affect him?!' Soul thought. "Isn't your GOD just SO talented?! I know, none of you could ever HOPE to compare to the man who will surpass God himself, right? Nyahahahaha!" 'Not at all,' Soul thought, sweat dropping.
"Oh, another thing, guys. Here." Kid cut in, handing over another medium-sized box to Soul. It was covered in purple wrapping paper with pumpkins, witch hats, and fish. "Blair told me to tell me to tell you that she couldn't be here because of work, and to open this only when you get to your destination." "Okay," Soul said, eyeing the box suspiciously.
"Masters and Misses, we have arrived," the driver called from the front, voice slightly muffled through the screen. He stopped the limo, circling around to the door, which he opened politely. After closing it behind the timid Chrona, he opened the truck, revealing Soul and Maka's luggage, and produced another suitcase for all of their gifts. The apparently strong old man hefted up several suitcases, as the teens followed suit. They showed their badges, and passed through the DWMA fast line, ignoring the dirty looks of other people. Well, except for Patty, who sneered back at them menacingly.
The weapons would beep in the metal detectors automatically, so there was a special line for them, where they would be patted down, scanned, have their bags checked, and be on their merry way. Only the students of DWMA knew this, though. As for the staff's knowledge, as long as they had a badge, they were checked that specific way. No exceptions.
Finally, Soul and Maka stopped walking. "This is where we part, guys," Maka said, voice already breaking. The group closed in on the two, crushing them in a huge hug. They parted, and the girls crowded around Maka, the boys drifted to Soul, and Chrona stood off to the side, glancing between groups confusedly.
"We'll miss you sooo much, Maka-chan! Stay safe!" Liz blubbered, already in tears. Her sister, on the other hand, was laughing as usual. "See you, Maka-chan!" She yelled. Tsubaki then squeezed Maka. "Thanks for being the little sister I never had. Come back to us soon, Maka-chan!" Chrona then drifted over to the girls' group. "Th...thank you for b-b-being being my friend, M-maka-chan... Come home soon..." Chrona wailed. "No, take your time, gorilla-woman!" Ragnarok appeared suddenly, scaring many of the other VIP travelers.
Kid wrapped his arm around Soul's shoulder. "Be careful, Soul. And don't get Maka hurt." "Like hell I would," he shot back, immediately. "Good," Kid replied, without missing a beat. "That's all I wanted to hear." Black*Star then fist-bumped Soul. "Stay awesome, you hear? But not too awesome, or else I'll show you your place when you come back. See you soon, bro. And take care of my little sister." Soul nodded solemnly, as Chrona ambled over to him. "U-uh, thanks f-f-for being my f-friend... Uh, see y-you soon!" Chrona ended, trembling. Soul patted Chrona on the shoulder. "Of course," he said, simply. Then, he was swarmed by the girls. "You better keep my Maka safe, you idiot!" Liz said, grinding his head with her fist, as Patty cheered nearby, holding Chrona by the shoulders, who whimpered softly. Tsubaki looked at Soul intensely. "Take good care of Maka-chan, Soul-kun." Then her face lightened up. "Stay safe, and have a good trip!"
Kid hugged Maka and pulled back to hold her by the shoulders. "Stay safe and symmetrical, you beautiful creature."
Black*Star ruffled her hair affectionately. "I meant what I said when I told you that you're like a little sister to me. Stay safe, and come back soon, Maka." He said, before hugging her tightly. Surrounding passengers cooed and aww'ed at the sight. As Soul and Maka were about the make their exit, a sweaty red-head burst in, followed by two familiar faces.
"My Maaaka! Papa loves you very much! Don't leave Papa!" Spirit wailed. Stein pushed past the wailing father, walking to the pair. "Maka, you were a good student. Stay safe, you have special skills." "Yissir!" Maka dutifully replied. "The same goes for you, Soul. You're irreplaceable." Soul nodded at the professor's words. Marie the spoke up from beside Stein. "You two were great students. Stay safe, finish quickly, and hurry on back home!" She said cheerfully. Spirit rose up from his spot on the floor, trudging towards Maka. He studied her face silently, tracing her cheek with his finger, and brushed some hair behind her ear. "Look at you now. Kami would be proud of you. I love you, Maka." Maka's eyes brimmed with tears, when her father said that. "Geez, Papa, you make it seem as if I'm never coming back..!" She whispered, hugging him. "I love you, too, stupid Papa."
"Well, that was chokingly emotional," Soul commented, as the pair settled down in their first-class suite. "Well, up until your dad started yelling at me again. Geez, he's crazy." "He is ridiculous," Maka agreed, huffing, despite the tear-jerking separation between the two earlier. Flopping onto the fluffy cushions, she bounced excitingly. "Geez, you're like a kid, Maka!" Although, he also laid down, reveling in the plush material. "Wanna watch Deathflix? We got six hours before we get anywhere." Maka offered. "Sure." Soul replied as he stretched out, Maka's legs laying in his lap, as they were used to.
The blaring overhead voice of the pilot roused the two from their sleep. Maka shut off the television and stretched, Soul following suit. They tiredly sat up, gathering themselves, attempting to sober up. Soul glanced at his watch. It read noon, but that was Nevada time; he'd have to adjust it later.
As the pair exited the plane, several butlers took their luggage, loading it into the truck of a waiting limo. Upon seeing the DWMA logo on the hood, Soul and Maka settled into the limousine. By the time they arrived at their house (or more like small villa) for the time being, it was 5 o'clock in Japan, making it one o'clock in the morning back at home. Groggy from the long ride, Soul and Maka shuffled into the house, letting the butlers carry their stuff. Tumbling onto their respective beds, the two fell unconscious as soon as their eyelids closed.
When Maka woke next, the sky was dark. She glanced at the clock at the bedside table. '10:36' flashed at her in red letters. Checking the time difference chart she drew out for when she was lazy, she found that it was too early to call the others (It was 6:36 over there, and a Sunday!). She'd contact them when she woke up. Getting up, she realized that her last few days of sleep had been peaceful. Weird. Getting up, she trodded to the kitchen, to get a glass of water, passing a room full of maids. She could never get used to this.
She and Soul had slept during the trip (and were used to traveling a lot), so jet lag wouldn't affect them for too many days. It was Monday, she observed, flipping on the large TV. They'd go to the school tomorrow, get rid of their jet lag, and start classes the next week. After a few minutes of news, and nearly an hour of flipping through channels, Soul walked into the room, towards their completely stocked fridge, and drank straight from a new carton of milk. Maka rolled her eyes, but ignored him, already used to this gesture.
"What about that gift that Blair sent us?" Maka thought aloud. "I'll go get it," Soul spoke, setting the milk down. Moments later, he arrived with the medium-sized box. Tearing off the Blair-themed paper, Maka crouched behind him in anticipation. When he opened the box, a familiar cat wearing a witch hat stared back at him.
"BLAIR!" The two yelled in unison. "What? Blair-chan just wanted to stay with Maka-chan and Soul-kun, nyaa~" she said, obviously seeing nothing wrong with the situation. Maka bristled, as Soul looked off to the side, clearly annoyed. "We have to tell Lord Death about this..." Maka said finally. "We might as well do it when we're going to contact the others. So... later." Soul replied. Maka nodded and turned to Blair, frowning. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. She had no words for such a situation. She then sighed and turned back to Soul.
"We should try to stay up all day tomorrow, to get rid of jet lag faster. Staying up through the night should be easy, since we just slept." Soul nodded his affirmation, and dropped his body to the couch, to join Maka for some TV. Blair curled up in Maka's lap, purring contentedly.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter will be long!
Posted: August 9, 2015
Updated: September 14, 2015
~Reginna Grace
